Supervision

Adult supervision involves careful watching of youth from a close distance. The amount and type of supervision needed depends on the age and abilities of the youth and the task being performed.

Levels of Supervision

• Constant – an adult is always within sight, sound and reach of a youth
• Intermittent – an adult is out of sight and sound for up to 15 minutes
• Periodic – an adult observes the youth at least every 15-30 minutes

Key Points:

• No task is too easy; youth must always be supervised by an adult.
• Children under 10 years need constant supervision.
• Recommended levels of supervision for youth over 10 years depends on the youth’s age and ability, and the task performed.
• Youth performing a new task should be constantly supervised until competent.
• Supervision must be a conscious, purposeful task: adults must think about it and do it consistently.
• Supervision of younger children might involve constant watching. For older children/youth, it might involve pausing adult work every 15 minutes to put “eyes and ears” on working youth.
• When checking on youth, take time to assess their performance. Are they working safely?
• A quick “How’s it going?” or “Do you have any questions?” every so often can go a long way towards keeping youth safe while working.
• Children and youth need more frequent rest periods than adults when working. Provide regular breaks and monitor youth for fatigue.
• Adults should monitor youth for good body mechanics and provide training as needed.
• Adults should praise youth’s safe behaviors and immediately correct unsafe ones.